Researchers evaluated data from a randomized controlled trial that assessed 1,495 adult smokers and their secondhand smoke exposure at home. A majority of participants were male (91 percent), with a mean age of 59 years and smoked for an average of 39 years.

The results of the analysis showed that having a family member who smoked was associated with lower rates of smoking cessation among cardiac patients. The authors of the research letter recommend including family members of cardiovascular disease patients in smoking cessation counseling, especially when the patient is advised to modify their lifestyle and behavioral choices.

The authors further note that “cardiologists play an important role in assisting smokers to quit, particularly at the teachable movements of cardiovascular disease diagnosis and hospitalization.”